brooks



(No Model.)

B. J. BROOKS.

SEAL.

Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. J.BROOKS do COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Illetters Patent No. 524,674, dated August14, 1894.

Application filed May 8, 1894.

Toa ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the followingis a specification. F p

This invention relates to what may be termed tag-seals, in whichprovision is made for displaying any required lettering, in characterslarge enough to be readily seen, by means of a tag of relatively largearea as compared with an ordinary seal-disk. Such seals are set forth inmy previous specifications forming part of United States Letters PatentNo. 178,722, dated June 13, 1876; No. 209,008, dated October 15, 1878;No. 235,668, dated December 21, 1880; No. 236,539, dated January 11, 1881; No. 258,278, dated May 23, 1882, and No. 278,866, dated June 5,1883.

The present invention also relates to those press-fastened seals inwhich the seal-disk is of sheet-metal, as set forth in my previousspecifications forming part of United States Letters Patent N 0.324,647, dated August 18, 1885, and another bearing date May 22, 1894,No. 520,390.

The present invention consists primarily in the combination with awire-shackle of a combined seal-disk and tag of sheet-metal, preferablycircular, which can conveniently be made of any required diameter and ofsingle thickness, and at the same time secure against being violatedwithout detection.

The invention further consists in a specific annular seal-disk and tagcombined, wired with both ends of the shackle; and in means forpreventing the withdrawal of flexible wire lengthwise to unfasten theseal.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof. 1

Figure 1 of these drawings represents a diametral section through anannular seal-disk and tag combined, of sheet metal, as produced bystamping preparatory to'the production of a tag-seal according to thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a face view of a tag-seal comprising an annulardiskproduced as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3- -3Fig. 2. Fig. 4.- represents a partial back view of the tagseal Figs. 2and 3. Fig. 5 represents an eleva- Serial No. 510.514.. (1% model.)

tion of the wire-shackle of said tag;seal, reduced three diameters. Fig.6 representsa diametral section through a modified disk provided with asoft-metal rivet to form a combined button-seal and tag. Fig. 7 is aface view of such button-seal and tag, press-fastened. Fig. 8 representsa section on the line 8-8 Fig. 7. Figs. 9 and 10 are diametral sectionsthrough another modified disk, and through a press-fastened button-sealand tag, produced therewith; and Fig. 11 is a small scale elevation ofthe Wire shackle common to the tag-seals represented by said Figs. 6 to10 inclusive.

Like letters and numbers refer to corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Each of the tag-seals represented by the accompanying drawings comprisesa combined seal-disk and tag A, preferably circular, of suitablesheet-metal, such as thin tin (tinplate), and a wire-shackle B having alarge permanent loop a atone of its ends with which the perimeter ofsaid-disk and tag is wired in the peculiar manner hereinafter set forth,this end of the shackle B being thus securely attached to the disk at.Its other end I) remains free until the tag-seal is finallypressfastened after application to a pair of cardoor staples C or thelike, as in Fig. 2 or Fig. 8c 7, and is then secured at the middle ofthe disk in like manner or by other appropriate means.

The disk A of the specific tag-seal represented by Figs. 1 to 5inclusive is originally stamped, as in Fig. l, with a recurved rim 1 atits perimeter, an annular shoulder 2 immediately within said rim,annular fields 3 provided with the required lettering or distinguishingmarks in embossed characters, an annular shoulder 4: concentric withsaid shoulder 2, and a recurved rim 5 surrounding the central openingwithin said annular shoulder 4; and with a small hole 6 of the diameterof the wire in the outer rim 1, and a radial 5 depression 7 in thehigher of said lettered fields 3.

The free end 12 (unlooped) of the shackleB is threaded through said hole6, and the loop a is drawn into the annular depression formed by the rim1, and said rim is then refolded against the'shoulder 2 to wire the diskwith said loop as above, and to prevent unfolding the rim by sinking itsedge behind the outer field 3. This feature is common to all theimproved tag-seals as above. After the shackle B of said tag-seals Figs.1 to 5 is so attached, its free end b is provided, as in Fig.

5, with a loop fitted to the depression formedby the recurved inner rim5, and, after this end of the shackle has been threaded through thestaples O or their equivalent, its said loop is engaged with said rim 5,and secured by refolding said rim against said shoulder 4, as in Figs.2, 3 and 4; the end b adjacent to its loop lying within said depression7. To prevent the withdrawal of either end of the shackle lengthwise, incase the wire should be sufficiently flexible and strong and shouldhappen to be loose within the refolded rims of the disk, the backs ofthe rims 1 and 5 are provided with radial indentations 8, two or more toeach rim. These can readily be formed by chisel-like projections on thebeddie in the operation of refolding the rims to secure the respectiveshackle-loops; and the loop a, common to all the tag-seals, may be thussecured in all cases, and is the only one which is otherwise liable tobe insecure if not tightly embraced by the coacting rim.

The disk A of the modified tagseal represented by Figs. 6 to 8 inclusiveis substantially identical with the disk above described, apart from itsinner rim 5, which is not designed and is consequently not adapted to berefolded as above, and is preferably of smaller diameter as comparedwith the rim 5 of the disk first described. A soft-metal rivet D havinga hollow stem is inserted through the central opening within the rim 5,with its head at the back of the disk, and is then compressed lengthwiseand partly upset to form an overhanging flange 9 at the front of thedisk to adapt the end I) of the shackle B to be applied and fastened asin a buttonseal. The shackle B consequently retains a straight end b, asin Fig. 11, until after it is threaded through the staples O or theirequivalent. It is then wrapped one or more times around the shank formedby the inner rim 5 and the superj acent portion of the stem of the rivetD, after which said rivet D is pressed by means of a suitableseal-press, and said end I) of the shackle is thus permanently secured;the edges of the solidified and stamped soft-metal being guarded by theinner shoulder 4 of the disk, and one or both of its faces provided withpress-marks O, as in Figs. 7 and 8.

In the modified tagseal represented by Figs. 9 and 10 in connection withFig. 11, the disk A is substantially similar to said disk A of thetag-seal described, except that it has an elongated inner rim 5 adaptedto be preliminarily upset to form a button-seal flange 9 at the front ofthe disk, as in Fig. 9, so as to operate in connection with said form ofshackle represented in Fig. 11 having a straight end b'until after it isthreaded through the staples (1 or their equivalent; the other end ofthe shackle having a loop a secured within the outer rim 1 at thefactory, while said end b is secured, after being wrapped one ,or moretimes around the central shank of the seal, by refolding the central rim5 around said shackle-end b and against the central shoulder 4 of theseal.

Two annular fields 3, provided with appropriate lettering,are shown inFigs. 1 to 4 and Figs. 9 and 10, while a single lettered field isrepresented in Figs. 6 to 8.

It will be obvious that in either seal there may be one, two or morelettered fields as may be preferred, and that their shape andproportions may be varied as aids in distinguishing the seals ofdifferent owners.

Sheet-metal of dilferent colors may conveniently be utilized for a likepurpose; and other like modifications will suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art.

Having thus described the said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification-'- 1. An improved tag-sealcomprising a sheetmetal disk having a shoulder and a wire-securing rimrefolded against said shoulder at its perimeter, and a wire-shacklehaving a permanent loop at one end secured by said rim, said shoulderserving'to prevent access to the edge of the rim, and separate meansbeing provided for securing the other end of the shackle.

2. An improved tag-seal composed of an annular sheet-metal disk having ashoulder and a wire -securing rim refolded against said shoulder at itsperimeter, and a like shoulder and wire-securing rim at its center, anda Wire-shackle having permanent loops atits respective ends secured bysaid rims,substantially as hereinbefore specified.

3. In a tag-seal, the combination with a wireshackle having a looped endof a sheet-metal disk having a shoulder and a wire-securing rim refoldedagainst said shoulder and provided with radial indentations topreventthe withdrawal of the wire lengthwise, substan- 'tially ashereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

